Some Takeaways from 24th Edition of Dr. T Ao Trophy

1. The total prize money, including both team categories and individual comes to just around INR 10 lakh, which is relatively low compared to the efforts and expenses the participating teams had to bear—especially this time in a city like Kohima, which is supposedly the most expensive city in Nagaland.

2. The grand finale between Niuland and Mon alone drew over 28,000 plus spectators at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima generating about INR 40 lakh (approx.) for the organising committee from ticket sales. This does not even include the tickets sold on the other days of the tournament, which would have further raised the overall income. Given this, why does the prize money remain so low, not even amounting to half of the revenue generated? Or is such response from the supporters new today? Keeping the prize pool low raises concerns about whether football is truly being valued? Is the organising committee considering scaling up the prize money, or is a large portion being reserved for other future developments?

1. 3. So far, Dr. T Ao Trophy has economically benefitted only a few districts. The main reason behind this limitation is the lack of modern sports infrastructure in other districts. If the Government invests in developing such facilities across the state (in districts lacking proper turf football ground), the tournament could be hosted in all districts on rotation, ensuring that the economic benefits are more widely shared.

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4. The government and the organising committee can consider arranging proper transportation facilities for the growing football fans in the state. The tournament as big and grand as Dr. T. Ao Trophy often faces heavy traffic before and after matches, and providing transport would not only ease congestion but also encourage more supporters to attend without worrying about travel issues. In addition, this will also create an additional source of income for the government and the organising committee. Many fans are unable to attend simply because they lack convenient transportation options.

5. This year’s tournament saw an exceptional fan response, with over 28,000 spectators at the final match and around 1.5 lakh online viewers. The strong public support made the event feel grand and uplifted both players and organisers. If this enthusiasm continues, the tournament has the potential to reach even greater heights in the future.